Don't Even Try
by BlindDestiny
Summary: Don't assume you know what someone else is feeling. Taking action under assumptions is dangerous business. In this storm, one mistake can send you both spiraling down. Don't let go. No matter what. Vol. 7 Spoilers! YuukiZero ShikiRima RukaKain and more.
1. I Hate It

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes-- **I'm branching out! My first Vampire Knight fic… ah, I'm almost proud of myself.

SPOILERS FROM VOLUME SEVEN!! If you haven't read Vol. 7 yet, you should probably do that first…

I'll just get this over with beforehand. Pairings are YuukiZero, RimaShiki, RukaKain, and a little KanameSara.

_Chapter 1: I Hate It_

xXx

Her grip trembled and the knife finally clattered to the floor. A drop landed on the shiny blade, running down and polishing it.

Yuuki glanced up at the mirror she was collapsed in front of. Her reflection shuttered as she did, and her eyes glared as hers did. Her dark brunette locks cascaded all around her in a curtain. She wasn't used to this. This wasn't her. She didn't like this… she hated this.

Her pale hand shakily grasped the handle of the knife again while the other one gripped her hair. Her starved eyes glazed over as the metal touched her tresses, and with a grit of her teeth she pushed it through. Frighteningly long bands of hair slipped through her fingers. She wouldn't stop. She continued to hack and stab at her hair until it was a choppy version of it's former self.

She clenched her eyes shut to look in the mirror. As they slowly opened, all she saw was a disguise… a mask of _her_ former self.

A fist slammed into the mirror. She growled, glowering at the reflection. Tears fell uncontrollably from her frosted eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat painfully.

"I hate this…" she miserably whispered.

Again she grinded her teeth together, and her fangs clacked against the others. She shivered and rested her forehead on the mirror. "I… can't stand it." More tears fell every time her eyes fluttered.

It's been a week and a half. A week and a half since her memories were awakened. A week and a half since she learned of her and Kaname's relationship. A week and half since she found out who she really was.

But she didn't want to be… she didn't want this. She didn't want this guilt coiling up in her chest and choking her.

Her body pulsated and she clenched her fist harder. Now she understands… just how much torture Zero was in.

No blood for over a week. Not even the tablets. Ten years had gone by without a single drop of blood… then a tiny sip when she'd first awakened. Even a pureblood will fall victim to the throbbing hunger after that long of a drought.

Everything she saw was red. Her world was topsy-turvy. Whenever she felt the hunger coming she had to resist. She had to do anything to restrain herself.

Now she understands Zero.

Yuuki grimaced and pulled herself off of the hair-covered carpet. "I hate it…" her voice cracked, even at a whisper. "I hate it, Zero… I hate it."

She wouldn't allow herself to be with Kaname anymore. It went against her morals. She loved him, but… he was her bloodline. Her ancestor.

Her brother.

On the other hand, Zero… He was always there for her when Kaname couldn't. She got lost in his eyes the first time she met him. Eyes full of hatred. Pure hatred, towards those that changed him. Vampires… Kaname… and ultimately her… He despised vampires. He would do anything to kill them.

Even himself. If she hadn't stopped him… Back when Zero thought that Yuuki was human, he was her friend. A precious friend at that. But now… she wasn't so sure of anything.

"_Nothing but an arrogant pureblood who trifles with humans."_

His voice rang in her ears like a gong. There was nothing she could do. She was positive that he never wanted to see her. At least not now.

The tears won't stop. They just keep coming. Every thought that passes through her mind creates more, and every time she catches a glimpse of herself in the looking glass she gains another thought. It's perpetual anguish.

Another pulse of bloodlust purged through her. She let out a low cry in pain and attempted to get to her feet. Leaning on the wall, she managed to get to door. Pain coursed through her thick veins. Tears burned her cheeks. She opened the door and slung herself across the corridor, collapsing on the opposite wall. Her shoulders heaved and she let out a strangled sob. "I don't want it… I don't!"

In a fit of strength, Yuuki managed to pull herself back to her feet, but still leaning on the wall. The soft glow of determination burned in her eyes and she trekked forward, each step like setting off a grenade in her ear.

_Th-Thump_

Her eyes widened to their limits. This wave of thirst was more painful than the last, and the entire world was blurred. She had no depth perception anymore. Everything was the same colour and the same hue… It had the same tint and shade and the same shape. Colour-blindness settled into her mind as she slipped down the wall, resting on her knees.

She felt the entire universe slow down. Each stab to her throat ripped her body apart. Enough bloodlust can eventually kill, or cause insanity… Level E vampires were enough proof of that. However, even a pureblood can succumb to Level E…

Her throat felt like it was bleeding from the inside and she choked out her weakened voice. "I can't stand it… Zero… I hate it…" Her voice fell as she did. With a hand sliding down the wall with her own tumbling form, she whispered, "I hate it…" before finally crashing to the carpet.

Her dreams were drenched in crimson. The world around her continued at the normal pace and the empty hallway gave no recognition to her.

Unbeknownst to Yuuki, Zero stood at the end of the corridor. He was shielded behind her by shadows, and if she had the energy to turn around she still might not have seen him.

Especially not his icy violet eyes widening as she hit the floor.

XxX

**Author's Notes--**Wow… depressing. My first chapter for my first VK fic… I'm so proud of myself. (Tear)

Not really. Anyway, I'm going to add more. Definitely. There will be more in this besides Yuuki and Zero. Kaname's inner struggle… ah, it's going to be a joy to write. I'll look forward to it after writing this depressing thing… yeesh.

**Happy thoughts,**

_**-Destiny**_


	2. The Hierarchy

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes-- **Wow, I didn't think I'd get so many reviews on my first VK fic! To show my gratitude, I guess, I'll try to update quickly. Although Spring Break's almost over…

Also, I know that I got Zero's features wrong the first time. I was mixing him up. But I've gotten over it, he's his normal features again, and I've updated all the parts of the story that said otherwise. I _do _hope that I get Kaname's eye colour right. If I don't, someone tell me, please.

This chapter will have angst too! Hehe, I like writing angst… I should do it more often.

_Chapter 2: The Hierarchy_

xXx

_Bang_

You could hear the wall shouting as Kaname threw his fist at it. He glowered at the floorboards as his veins ran green.

He wasn't used to this yet… this… thing… What was it that he told Zero he wouldn't do? Oh, yeah…

Lose.

That smug little brat. He had no idea who he was dealing with.

Kuran Kaname: The head of the Kuran clan. The most powerful pureblooded vampire in the entire vampire community.

And you better believe he let everyone know that.

But Zero… this… kid who was bitten by the Kuruizaki-Hime (Madly-Blooming Princess), and turned into an ex-human vampire… he never wavered in his presence. It was like he held no fear in his heart against a pureblood. All other vampires- be them nobles or not- would graciously bow whenever Kaname would enter the room.

It was almost amusing, the way Zero would protrude from the mass of bows and curtsies.

Then again, it was sickening… The way he could shake his posture, his composure. He knew just the right way to prick at his ego. He would always be there… jabbing at it.

Kaname didn't know whether it was that Zero thought he was superior, or if it was his damn fearlessness.

Zero always had a burning determination in his eyes. It was blazing. It taunted Kaname.

It was aggravating.

Ever since Chairman Cross brought that boy into his care, they were rivals. Whether they knew it or not, they were. Bitter rivals. Archenemies at best.

The first time Zero laid eyes on him he tried to kill him, yelling "Vampire!". It didn't shock Kaname, the aloof and sensible one in the situation. After all, the boy had just lost his family and his humanity to a vampire. So it was only natural that he would be offensive.

But to be so straightforward…

Since that time, they've been anything but friendly towards each other. Especially since Kaname saw the hold that the boy had on Yuuki. For some reason, she just wouldn't leave it alone.

He knew that ever since Zero came into the picture, he was losing her. He was losing his Yuuki… to an ex-human! Who's ever heard of a pureblood being defeated by a Level D? The only reason Kaname allowed her to be around him was that he protected her. She kept him sane, so he kept her safe. He was her shield. Her guardian.

Kaname knew that this was going to come back to bite him one day… and now it has.

Yuuki being a prefect with Zero. She was around him all the time. No blood bounded them to separation. It wouldn't shock Kaname if she would give her life for that ex-human.

Prefect or not, she needed him. She was kind-hearted. Too kind hearted.

She wouldn't hesitate to risk herself for him. Kaname knew it. Yuuki knew it. Even Chairman Cross knew it.

But somehow, Zero failed to notice.

That's why he's not worthy of her. Kaname figured that if Zero couldn't acknowledge Yuuki's bind to him, then he couldn't have her. No ex-human was worthy of Yuuki. Only a pureblood. Like himself, for example.

Kaname smirked in spite of the tempest in his mind.

The look on Zero's face… Even behind the Bloody Rose, he looked absolutely astonished.

And Kaname loved it.

Finding out that Yuuki was a pureblood and a Kuran… that had to rattle his cage a bit. Zero would most likely draw back, unsure of what to do. That's just what happened too. The only reason Zero would show himself was classes. He even rarely did that.

Yuuki was torn to pieces. Not even Kaname could bring her back to her cheerful, beaming self.

A wrench in his heart.

Yuuki dug her nails into it and tore through it. She only cared about Zero's well-being. She wanted him to forgive her for something she couldn't control.

Kaname noticed her drastic change in behavior. She didn't smile. Plotting designs in the carpet became her hobby. It ate at him, that he couldn't do anything about it. Only Zero could bring her back to life.

It made him ill.

"Ruka." Kaname suddenly spoke to the wall, slightly turning his head to the door. "How long are you planning on standing there?"

He's felt her presence for a while now. Waiting for her to timidly knock on the door, calling his name, and inevitably casting him out of his thoughts. He anticipated it, and would've greatly appreciated it.

Her aura tensed, and the knob to his room gently turned. A stripe of yellow light infiltrated the darkness of the chamber. Ruka's silhouette appeared on the floor, rising to the crown molding on the walls. "I was wondering when you'd ask me that." Her voice was soft and smooth like silk, and a calm smile showed on her face.

"What is it?" he ordered, pushing himself off the wall. Kaname was always blunt about things. He never wanted to bother with conversational-foreplay.

Ruka seemed offended and flinched ever so slightly. But being a vampire of noble blood, she just a quickly stuck to her guns, and vigilantly clicked the door shut behind her. "I…" she paused, not wanted to be impudent, "You seem dejected lately."

"It's nothing." He interjected and moved towards the large window. "You shouldn't trouble yourself with unnecessary things."

Ruka's gaze hardened at his recluse attitude. She slipped on her bravado and marched up to him, grasping his shoulder in a small attempt to get him to turn around. "It's not unnecessary!" She felt a tear tickle her eye, but blinked it away. Her heart pressed against her ribcage.

He turned on his heel, shocked at her emotion; but the only place it showed was in his claret eyes. "How is it… Ruka?"

A tear she couldn't restrain rolled over her cheekbones. Her eyes clenched shut and she brought a ridged hand to her throat, slicing the flesh with her nails. "Please… drink… I only wish… to satisfy you…" She could hear her heart sink. It slipped to the floor and shattered in full-blown evidence of her emotional status.

Kaname hooded his eyes at her action. "Enough, Ruka. I've told you before-"

"-No! You did once. Do I no longer have a place?" She interrupted him. A bold move, but she would do anything to get some recognition. "Can I not persuade you?" her whisper was downcast.

"What are you doing?" He breathed, the scent of her blood reaching his senses and setting them awhirl.

Ruka boldly inched her neck closer to his nose, until it was just below his jaw line. A drop spilt from her other eye and landed on his shoulder, seeping through the cloth. "Obeying… my own heart… for once." She smiled with self-satisfaction and rested her fingertips on his shoulders.

Her smile only grew when she felt his hands getting tangled in her long blonde hair. His breath fell on her wound and fogged up her eyes. All her efforts finally came in play and she picked up her heart from the ground to flutter in her chest. She had to restrain the hum in her throat from victory.

His fangs sunk into her throat, the blood dripped down, and his eyes changed to red.

Blood red.

XxX

She could hear it… the rush of fresh blood… confined in the veins…

Scarlet. Crimson. Red.

Blood.

It was everywhere.

She needed it. _Wanted_ it.

The bloodlust grew in her heart. Her throat was dry. She could barely manage the passage of air. If she wasn't restrained, she'd lunge for the first person she rested her gaze on.

She tried to pry her wrists free from the shackles she couldn't see. She was shrouded in darkness, teasingly tinted red. Her arms wouldn't move. She was being bound to the spot. There was pressure on her abdomen, so she couldn't squirm. Her eyes clenched shut. That's when she heard it again.

The sound of blood pulsing through healthy veins… This time it was accompanied by uneven breaths.

Just the thought of drinking that blood enticed her instincts. She fought more forcefully to be set free, but her shackles tightened.

"Yuuki…" one of the breaths sounded her name. She stopped struggling. Her eyes shot open and her heart rammed itself into her throat.

Deep mauve pierced into her composure. Her own breath hitched and the eyes staring her down narrowed.

"…Zero…" her voice was scratchy. The thirst was showing.

Her brown hair was fanned out around her drained face. Zero saw her spectacle in the corridor, and it killed him. He practically glared down at her as he kept her wrists in a vice, his knee on her stomach. "Yuuki, what are you doing?"

She flinched at the harshness of his voice. He was angry. Her eyes remained widened as they searched his eyes and finally roamed his features. They rested on his neck, the bloodlines showing themselves to her, taunting her. She gulped.

She wanted to taste it.

Zero tightened his grip, and moved towards her like he was shaking her. "Did you hear me!" He clenched his jaw, trying to get something out of her. He followed her gaze and remembered the whole reason he was livid in the first place. "A pureblood falling to bloodlust…" she cringed as he spoke, and his expression softened, "Who ever heard of something so ridiculous…?"

Yuuki gave him a stunned look when his grip loosened- ever so slightly. He avoided her eyes and lowered his head, making his exposed veins more tempting in her stare. "Uhn…" she grimaced. She didn't want to do it… but also, she would do anything to. But to Zero…?

"Do it, Yuuki." He forced his voice, unbelieving. "If it will help you…" his face came closer to her shoulder, until she could no longer see it. All that remained of him in her point of view was a silvery blob. "Take it."

She hesitated. Not to Zero… anyone but Zero. He was the one that didn't want her to be this way in the first place. Doing that to him would just pour salt in the wound…

But he opened up the opportunity.

She leaned forward, his scent of apprehension inviting. Her tongue touched the skin above the vein before she barred her fangs and pierced it.

She bit him viciously. The "bloodlust of beasts", as Kaname-Senpai called it, can finally wane. His blood was warm, and cascaded down her chin. Her senses were excited as she took another gulp.

The curtain of crimson lifted.

Everything was so sharp and defined. Each bump in the ceiling was emphasized to the fullest in her eyes. The haze was gone. Colour returned to her, and stuck out of everything.

Realization hit her. She released the grip she held on Zero, and dropped to the ground. Gasping for air, she felt relief wash over her. The thirst wasn't completely gone, but for the most part, it was.

"Zero…?" she whispered, searching for his face.

He grunted in discomfort. His energy was drained. Slowly, he lifted his face above hers again and his violet eyes flashed at her. A small smirk pulled on his lips, blood still seeping from Yuuki's bite. "Your thirst…" he strained, "was almost as great as mine…" Her eyes widened and his smirk twisted into a grin.

His head lowered again, but this time in exhaustion. The rest of his body eased and he collapsed.

"Zero!" Yuuki gasped, "A-are you alright?" She bit her tongue, not wanting to distance herself further from him. Her hands flew to his head, bothering the long silver hairs. "Zero?"

He gently turned his face towards her, his breath sending chills through her. Without a word, he leaned closer, pricking her neck with a single fang. A drop or two of blood appeared, and instead of sinking his teeth in further, he licked them away. Yuuki face discoloured to the scarlet hue that haunted her. She was noticing the intimacy of the situation.

"Zero… I'm sorry… I didn't know about this… I would never-"

"Sorry?" he interrupted her, sending her more chills, "… for what?"

She took a deep breath, "I can't stand it, Zero… If I'd known what returning my memories meant…" her eyes clenched shut and she moved her hands from his hair to being wrapped around his neck, "I would have never done it!"

Zero lifted himself up, with slight difficulty. He stared down at her watering brown eyes and saw his own shocked face as a reflection. One of his hands found it's way to her cheek and he looked her square in the face with determined eyes. "It's like you said to me… Even if your vampire is awakened…" He inched closer to her, a small smile showing on his face. "Yuuki is still Yuuki."

She couldn't control her heartbeat or her breathing anymore. Her throat constricted, but not in thirst, and her body temperature rose to rather unnatural levels. "Zero…"

Nothing else could escape her breath. Zero's pushed back. She could feel it on her face. Her eyes fluttered shut as an instinct and she flashed back to the last time they were in this position. His lips almost casually grazed hers. Yuuki could swear she felt her heart stop. A tear burst through her shut eyes and fell back into her hair. She felt Zero's fingertip swipe the trail away.

He pulled back and stared at her with the same astonished look on his face as before.

Except this time he wasn't hiding behind the Bloody Rose.

xXx

**Author's Notes--**Ah, the romance scene… Sheesh, the one thing I hate about writing about vampires is how alike the blood-sucking scenes sound like lemons. (Shiver) Ah, well… I'm not so sure about the actions in this one… but I'm rather proud of the dialogue. I'm not sure why, but it sounds to me like it came straight from the manga…

Not in a conceited way, but I'm amazed with myself.

**Suggestions, please!,**

_**-Destiny**_


	3. The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes--** It's decided! KanameSara! I was leaning that way first but it's true, Ruka goes better with Kain- in my opinion. Plus, it's hinted that Kain has a thing for Ruka. And so it goes- a new pairing added to this story! RukaKain!

This chapter will mostly be about **Rima** and **Shiki**… considering they haven't had a cameo yet.

Thanks to all my faithful reviewers!

_Chapter 3: The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self_

xXx

"Just a moment of weakness, Ruka. That's all."

Ruka starred straight ahead, unable to accept Kaname's words. He shut the door and left her in the hallway, alone. Just how it always was with him. She's been alone this whole time. She just didn't want to realize it. Doing an ignorant dance by herself… god, why did she stop dancing!? It sure as hell beats this…! This… feeling unwanted. She hated it. Why wouldn't he just let that girl go!?

That girl's chosen another! Why didn't he just leave it at that!? Why was he so tenacious!?

She's a hypocrite, isn't she?

She can harp about Kaname being selfishly tenacious on that girl's feelings, but she was the same way with his. He had chosen that girl, and Ruka couldn't accept that either.

Still, an ignorant hypocrisy was better than this.

Her heart lurched.

Tears pricked at her eyes. She blinked to let them fall. Anything was better than this.

She could almost hear the crash as her heart hit the floor. Blood and love spilled out over the carpet and under the door, but he didn't care. All it mattered to him was an extra command to give to the maid. Wash it away… and never let him see it again. Place a rug over it so he'll never have to see the stain.

Why did she care so much? When he didn't think twice about her at all? Did anyone, really?

She never talked to Rima or Shiki. Ichijou was cheerful to her, but he was to everyone. All the same. Aidou considered her his rival.

Negative. Everything was negative. When she closed her eyes she saw brightness… the illumination of the world. But when she opened them, the darkness consumed her. Nothing was real in her ideal world. Reality was dark. She didn't have a torch.

Who was she forgetting?

It didn't matter. They were as dark as she was. Unrequited love worked in a loop. No one was as the end… it just kept going.

"Ruka?"

A deep voice caught her off-guard. She quickly turned to face it and was met by caramel eyes and orange hair. "Akatsuki?"

"Why are you standing out here like this?" he cocked his head to the side a bit in confusion. Normally, Ruka would pace around the dorm building, regardless of where or why. "Are you alright?"

"What?" Ruka stood back, shocked. Did he just ask… if she was alright? She must've heard wrong, right? Could Kain… also be dancing by himself?

An image of Kain dancing alone darted through her mind and she couldn't stifle her laughter. Kain dancing at all was a cause for giggling like a fangirl.

"I'm fine now…" she breathed. He seemed satisfied and gave a small sigh of relief. Her lips formed a smile as she walked past him and mumbled: "Thank you." Kain lost his composure for a moment and was taken aback. He didn't expect that…

Ruka's smile widened the further down the hallway she went. "I guess no one's at the end of the chain after all."

XxX

Rima bit the inside of her cheek. Pain coursed through her body and ripped her heartstrings when she caught the accomplished twinkle in his crimson eye.

"Shiki…" she barley managed to sputter out his name. Well, the body's name.

This wasn't Shiki. Something happened over the break. Now some imposter's come back to the academy. They weren't very good at posing either. If they knew Shiki well enough they'd know that his eyes were crystalline blue, not two totally different colours! Blue and crimson… what a ghostly combination.

She pressed her fingers into her side; blood seeping from the wound and spilling over. Sometimes being a vampire was so convenient, wasn't it? As she stood up and shook her own blood from her hands the wound was sealed with new flesh. "How dare you harm a model's body! Just who do you think you are?" she shouted at the fake Shiki in front of her. A sick grin was stuck on his face.

Ichijou looked back and forth from Rima and Shiki. His hands were held in front of his chest with the palms facing out to seem defenseless. "Uhm- Shiki, please, let's just leave it alone." His voice was shaky and had an obvious look of distress on his face.

"No Takuma. You stay out of this." Rima spat, never lifting her gaze from 'Shiki'.

The fake Shiki smirked, "Rima, you should watch what you say to those you don't know."

She grinded her teeth together in disgust. Really! Who did this guy think he was anyway? Her golden bangs slid over her eyes. She couldn't look at him anymore. "You…"

"What a rude girl you are." 'Shiki' scoffed.

Ichijou's face lit up in alert and he took a step towards Rima, who had a strong aura radiating from her. "Rima, don't-"

"You're weak, Shiki!" she screamed, "How can you let this fake take over! … Stupid!" With one of her arms extended to the side, bolts of energy sprang from her fingertips and whirled around her. The closest thing to hatred burned in her blue eyes. This guy… whoever he was… had no idea what he was doing! "Who are you! You're certainly not Shiki!"

"Please, Rima." Ichijou stood in front of her with an uncharacteristically troubled smile on his lips. "Don't harm Shiki. I know it's not him on the inside but it's still his body."

The imposter snickered behind him, "Shut up, Takuma. This body is as good as mine now. Though not as powerful as my real one." He raised a single hand and the ground began to tremor and break. Chunks of earth went flying towards the two blondes. Rima's glare still wasn't wavered, and she would have been crushed if Ichijou hadn't shoved her backwards. They landed in a heap, surrounded by rocks. 'Shiki' smiled at their anxiety and again lifted his arm.

"Coward!" Rima shrieked, causing Ichijou to jump a bit. Her outburst was so sudden, it even made 'Shiki' stop his movements. "If you're not going to cast him out yourself…" she slowly got to her feet as she spoke, the lightning building up again. "… Then I'll beat him out of you myself!"

Ichijou saw the determination in her eyes and reached up to stop her, "Rima!"

The fake Shiki stopped. He didn't say a word. He didn't even smirk. Something pulled at his soul, and a speck of light shone through the darkness.

Why was he doing this? Hurting Rima? Ichijou? There wasn't a good enough reason in the world to cause that. He felt like he was looking at the world through dirty sunglasses. Everything was blurry, splotchy, and dark. Did he just wake up? Was this a dream he was being pushed out of and back to the real world? He imagined Ichijou shaking him awake and talking of one of his mangas. Or Aidou beating him awake for stealing his Chocolate Pocky.

But he wasn't waking up. This isn't a dream. He's here… alive… but not really here. Sleepwalking? For some reason, he kept hearing his father's voice in his head…

His father!

Rima and Ichijou gazed at Shiki. He seemed to be having an argument within his own mind. Suddenly his eyes snapped open in a realization kind of way. Could Rima have really waked him up? Was the possessing becoming the possessed?

Shiki raised his hands to his face and dug his nails into his forehead. Like he was trying to claw something out of his mind to rip away. He wanted to stop it. "Get out… get out…" he mumbled over and over in an incessant chant. His body bent over as he pressed his palms into his closed eyes. A jolt of suppression overwhelmed him and tried to shove him back into the darkness. He felt his father fighting him.

"Don't fight back like that, Senri…" Shiki chuckled, his crimson and blue eyes gleaming.

Rima clenched her fist, energy flying around it. "Shiki!" she slung her arm towards the fake as she yelled. Bright red lighting bolts flew at the incredibly calm Shiki. She had put all of her energy into those bolts, and he just smiled.

With a wave of his hand, he deflected the attack back towards its source, sending both Rima and Ichijou flying.

"Please stop fighting…" Ichijou groaned from his spot on the ground.

Rima rested on her knee, clenching her jaw. "Just who are you!?"

Another smirk pulled on 'Shiki's' lips as he strode over to them. "Silly girl," he spat, "I thought they taught you to respect those of greater blood."

"Greater blood?" her voice held malice, and she didn't care anymore. She'd attack him where he stood if she had the energy. "Are you kidding me?"

"I'll let you apologize to me." His hand appeared in front of her face, like he expected her to kiss it and grovel for forgiveness. "Kuran Rido."

Rima's head snapped up to look him in the face. Her mind blanked completely. All she thought of was his name. "K- Kuran…?"

'Shiki's' eyes lit up at her reaction. "Yes. The true head of the Kuran family… This body's father." Her eyes went downcast. She just couldn't fathom this… Kuran… Rido? Kaname? Is Shiki's father… alive? A pureblood? "I'm waiting for my apology." He interrupted.

Rima didn't move. Ichijou moved towards the two with panic still racing through him. "Okay, okay… that's enough." He placed a hand on 'Shiki's' shoulder to get his attention. "Didn't you have something to do or-"

"Takuma." He interjected, making Ichijou jump. "I want my apology."

Rima still hadn't moved. She was like a statue staring at the dirt, trying to understand what she was just told. Kuran… Kuran… there's no way…

Her hand suddenly slapped Shiki's out of her face. The two above her looked down with appalled faces. She just looked up through her bangs, her blue eyes narrowed.

"Never."

xXx

**Author's Notes- **I know it's been a while but, I'm sorry. My muse isn't exactly great right now either so excuse the poor writing technique. I haven't written anything in a while. Plus, this chapter had a lot of action and dialogue in it and I didn't expect it to be that fantastic anyway…

All the characters have been introduced! (Save Aidou, but he doesn't have a big spot in this fic… he's just the comic relief.)

**Sayonara,**

_**-Destiny**_


	4. Denial is a Frozen Ocean

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes**-- Sorry it's been so long… I just had a tiny bit of writer's block…

In this chapter we finally get back to the YuukiZero pairing, and more RimaShiki!

Thank you everyone that's reviewed so far!

_Chapter 4: Denial is a Frozen Ocean_

xXx

What was he doing? Who was he fooling?

His eyes glazed over. He was watching, not seeing like he wanted to. More than anything, he wanted to be able to do what he wanted. Literally, he was kept from it.

It was like a train crash. He wanted to turn away, but when his eyes moved he tried to resist. She just laid there, her hair spread around her like blood. Unmoving.

_Rima…_

His body rebelled against his mind. He was weak. He knew that. She didn't have to say it. But her putting it into words really sent him flying.

He could feel the smirk on his lips, the clenching of his fist. Everything he told himself to do somehow ended up being the opposite. Even through their lids, her eyes were haunting him. Screaming at him.

Coward.

Lousy. Weak. Coward. How could he let himself be manipulated so willingly? He was just a puppet putting on a show to swipe the minds of the audience. The master laughs, and cuts the strings.

Freedom?

Ichijou reached a shaky hand towards Rima, his heart beating against his ribcage. "Rima…?" He gulped. What was there to do? When she glared up and let that word escape her lips… 'Never.' It was like her signature in blood on a death wish.

Shiki's crimson and blue eyes narrowed to the point you could barely see them at all. Enraged, he snapped, and sent all his power flying at her. Her rebelliousness was foolish. Didn't she know that? Why didn't she just give up like he kept telling her to?

This wasn't going to help the real Shiki in the slightest. Ichijou knew that much. Sure, he was powerless against his father under the circumstances… but he was still conscious. He was there… somewhere… deep, down in the darkness of the farthest recesses of his mind….

But he was _there._

Seeing Rima struck down like this would make him feel weaker, wouldn't it? How is this supposed to help? Shiki didn't need to feel worse! And Rima… putting her life on the line… for what? Her _pride__? _

"No…" Ichijou watched Rima, an understanding look upon his features. "It was all for Shiki."

"Takuma." The malice in 'Shiki's' voice startled him. "Are you going to stare at her all day? If you don't do something she might die."

Ichijou's eyes widened. "What? You- … Please, she's just an innocent bystander to all of this. Leave her out of it."

'Shiki' simply smirked at his pleas. "You brats need to learn your place." He muttered before stalking away. Ichijou glanced at the unconscious Rima, worry sprouting up inside him.

_Please, Shiki… Don't let her efforts go to waste…_

XxX

This wasn't supposed to happen.

No… He wasn't supposed to show her.

He showed her! Why? Why did he let his guard down? He shouldn't have showed her. He shouldn't have gotten close. The closer he got, the more it would shove him into the darkness.

She looked up at him like a lost soul. Her eyes were open wide, her lips slightly parted. The gleaming mocha pools shot his reflection back at him. Staring dumbly at her. He looked terrified and shocked at the same time. A typhoon swept through his mind. He moved away and stood, watching the air like it would somehow part and leave him gasping... reaching.

Too close. He got too close. She didn't need him. She didn't need the guilt.

Does she know? How could she not... he practically spelled it out for her!

She needs Kaname. She loves Kaname.

With her personality, she'd never want anyone to dislike her... even in the slightest. She never wants anyone to feel bad. She'll do anything to put a smile on anyone's face. Even if that means squandering her own happiness away.

No, that's worse. Why wouldn't she realize that the ones that she would do anything to make smile are the ones that would rather see her smile without them? Please... don't find out about the storm... or it will strike you down too.

Her lips formed his name. No sound reached his ears, muffled by the thunder of the rolling velvet clouds.

Don't come any closer.

Stay away from the darkness. You don't need to be smothered by it.

Please…

"Zero?" Yuuki's voice finally reached him. His eyes clenched shut. Shielding his face with his hands, he felt his insides freeze. His heart tried to keep rhythm, pumping crimson slush through icy veins. All those annoying, hummingbird feelings spiraled down and crashed. Snowed over. Cold.

She sat up and reached out to him. Why was he suddenly so… distant? It's not unusual but… She felt like he had finally let her in. Let her be close to him. He was warm… so unusual.

His hands fell. Those eyes that were molten violet, smoldering… crystallized, hardened, and frozen. Just ignore it. Act normal. Cheerfulness… aloofness… He'll protect her again.

She lost him again. He's standing off. His armor's been replaced and his body numbed. The fire's out…

There's a blizzard coming.

XxX

Ichijou carefully placed the unconscious Rima on the bed. All her wounds were healed, but the psychological ones would take more time. The only thing left to do was wait.

Would Rima's façade have any effect on the dormant Shiki? Or would he recluse and be devoured by his guilt whilst trapped in his own subconscious?

He had to do something.

Ichijou clenched his fists at his sides. He couldn't grope his way through this pitch-black with a simple grin of optimism. This was definitely not the normal high school dramatics that you can fight with a healthy outlook. He had to take a stand… against his own family no less. He had to be serious, he had to be punctual… he had to be strong. Fighting for your friends seems easy when it's against a faceless force.

He had to face his grandfather… and the rest of his noble family.

His grandfather was too preoccupied with the Ichijou Family's "good name", and less affiliated with the outlook of the Night World. Even the health of other Families didn't rest on his conscious. As long as he had power attached to his name… He could sleep peacefully knowing the council was influential.

The Ichijou family has always supported the council fully. Other families would support it somewhat, or not at all. If the council falls, the family name gets dragged down with it.

But this wasn't about power, ancestry, the council, or anything the grandson of a noble would be thinking of. This was about his friends. His true family that didn't push out the rest of the world to be as pure as they could be. He wouldn't do this for anyone.

Most if not all of the odd jobs he did around the Academy, weren't done with no argument just because Kaname was a pureblood. He respected him in personality and heart… not blood.

This confrontation was going to be the toughest thing he's ever done. He barely liked to _look_ at his grandfather… now he's going to see him on his own accord? The world is changing… This one avalanche could destroy them all. But he would rather fall by his own choices, than be corrupt by someone else's.

Denial has no place in him now.

The door burst open. Ichijou whipped around, his usual brightness falling from his face. Kain struggled into the room, a large bundle draped over his forearms. "Takuma…" he started, but drifted off, following the Vice President's gaze.

His emerald eyes widened, dread slashing through him like a blade. The avalanche was beginning…

"Shiki…"

xXx

**Author's Notes-** This chapter is very, very short by my standards… and it's a cliffhanger! It's taken me so long to write! When I started I really didn't think it would take this long but I guess I was wrong… I'll try to update more quickly but I still have a lot more stories out there. My friend and I's Code Geass fanfic was updating rapid fire, but was put on hiatus for me to write this!

**Review if you wish and sorry for the delay,**

_**-Destiny**_


	5. Twisted Kismet

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes**-- I could waste space and go into a huge fountain of excuses to explain my disappearance, but I'm not going to do that. I will, however, apologize beforehand for any poor writing that might rear itself… for I have no idea exactly how this chapter will turn out in the end. I haven't written narrative-style in so long, it feels like a lifetime.

_Chapter 5: Twisted Kismet  
_

xXx

_Please… you can't just leave me here… Like this… In the snow…_

Yuuki scrambled upwards, all of her fingers extended towards the fleeting hem of his shirt. The carpet met her face as her legs became tangled in her bed sheets. She raised her face up, catching a glimpse of his blurred form in the doorway before it was lost completely. A tear blotted the rug. Why should she be shut out again? Did she deserve this?

A drop of scarlet fell from her lips and nestled itself next to her tears. Her fist clenched. "I'm cruel to you, Zero…." She could feel the weight of her mind swaying atop her spine. The storm has made this sea of consciousness restless. There's nothing left to do but prepare for it.

She couldn't just apologize. Who she was… who she is, that means nothing. All that he fought for… that also means nothing. The events that have occurred can no longer be altered. Everything will fall apart. All will crumble.

Fate has a way of staining itself red.

Her legs pushed her forward, stumbling, out of the door. She huffed, all of her energy had not yet returned, and the shock of the cool outside air knocked the wind from her chest.

She could feel him. He was still close. She had to tear down this wall once and for all, in order for them both to make it through the pending catastrophe.

Pulling up her stockings, she scanned the campus. Her eyes wide, her heart thumping heavily in her frantic terror. Nothing. The air hit her cheeks in waves as she sprinted through it, tearing through the endless rows of curtains to make it to her spotlight. Her moment. Her place.

Purpose.

Does anyone know what theirs is? Who is the person that gets up every morning, knowing why they're there and what they have to do? Who has found their place in the puzzle of kismet? If someone knows it, the supernatural barrier binds them. Crossing over… never coming back…

Straight into the welcoming arms of death.

Her eyes burned. The icy air sliced through her throat as it quickly passed by, thrust by her lungs into a vanishing pillar of steam. Her heart guided her legs and pulled her throughout the school. It dragged her. Her legs could hardly keep up. Her mind raced to a confusing hum, almost blank.

Just keep running…

Something catches her jacket as she rushes by, jerking her to a halt and ripping her focus from her mind to her eyes. Panting, heart pumping, she stares at the hand gripping her by the crook of her arm. Thoughts flash behind her eyes like illegible numbers, nothing sticking, and nothing being let go.

"Yuuki," a rough voice called out to her sternly, like a parent scolding a child. "Yuuki, what are you doing out here?"

She kept her head low, watching the dirt clinging to her boots and shielding her eyes from her captor. A cold droplet fell down her cheek and leaped to her feet, cleaning some of the dirt.

The hand shook her gently, but the voice grew colder. "Yuuki."

Her throat ached from running. She kept her voice low, however scratchy, "K… Kaname-Senpai…"

The snow began to fall.

XxX

Hot… why is everything so boiling hot? Where is the heat coming from?

He was drenched in sweat, a futile attempt to cool himself down. He tried to flail his limbs around… tried to move… tried to _breathe_…

Nothing.

Was he buried alive? The heat surfacing from his own terror, and his lungs blocked of all air by dirt and sand? He felt nothing around him. Encased by a void space, where time did not exist. How long had it been since he'd taken a breath? Seconds? Minutes? There was no air. Nothing. He was buried in hot sand, panicking and suffocating.

Though there was nothing there.

His mind squirmed. It shot command after command at his body, but there was no response. He was trapped. Imprisoned within his own corpse? What he would give to just open his eyes and know where he was… what was going on…

He could feel his muscles ache from tiredness, even when they hadn't moved an inch. Maybe his brain was playing tricks on him, making him think he was tired when he hadn't budged. That's its way of telling him to give up, is it? No… he can't give up. Not after what's happened. Not after what he's done.

Just move… twitch… something! Please…

His chest tightened. His lungs were screaming. They need air. Any kind of air… away from this vacuum he was imprisoned in. He grit his teeth, feeling something moist seeping from in between them. Something warm and thick. Without taking a single breath, his nose reacted.

Blood. His blood?

No… he didn't recognize this smell. It was blood but… whose blood?

His lungs' screams were echoing and bounding off of his throat. He couldn't take this much longer. He needed air, he needed to breathe, or he wasn't going to make it. He could feel the blood dripping down his chin, his extremities felt sore and cramped, and his chest was twisting and writhing, turning itself inside out.

Complete, and utter loss.

He inwardly smirked in spite of himself. …_Please forgive me, Rima…_

"Shiki!"

Shot. His face jerked upwards and a deep gasp tore through his throat, filing his lungs with sedative. He was soaked with his own sweat, and panting from the shock. He could feel his heart pounding in his ribcage, driven mad with fear. The sheets of the bed were knocked down and shoved into the floor from his fighting.

The blood he had felt dripping from his lips had been a hallucination. His mouth was dry.

The immobility was in his mind. Nothing was restraining him. It was nothing but his own mind-set and paranoia.

He brought a shaking hand to his pale face, cradling his forehead. Everything was fake. His brain really was just playing tricks on him…

Wait. That's not right. Everything he imagined… being smothered by his own conscience… that was real. He was imprisoned. He had been locked away inside his own mind. He had been pushed out, ripped away from the wheel and put on stand-by. That wasn't a dream. It happened. He just knew it.

His crystalline eyes moved up to find the voice that had knocked him loose from that hellish nightmare. He gulped but it didn't keep his voice from being rough. "Akatsuki…"

Kain gave him a critical glance, but kept his focus through the foggy windowpane. "Good. You're awake." His breath appeared on the glass, fogging it even more.

Shiki vigilantly got to his feet and walked towards him, but he stopped, surprised at Kain eyeing him and taking a step back. "… What's going on?"

The taller of the two visibly relaxed. He seemed to realize that Shiki had indeed returned to normal. Whatever had been possessing him before was now gone. "Everything is going on." He spoke matter-of-factly, as if it explained everything.

Shiki put on a confused look and peered out the window with him. The school grounds seemed dead. The snow had just begun to fall from the sky, and everything was bare and ridged. He was just about to ask Kain again about the situation when a single Day Class Student suddenly started walking down the path. He seemed to be in a hurry from his long strides, but kept his spine and eyesight straight and level. It was like he was running away, but had somewhere to be.

Shiki tried to wipe away some of the fog from the window. "Is that… Kiryuu?"

Kain simply nodded.

Shiki was beginning to understand.

xXx

Shutting out everything that had just happened, Zero hastily stalked towards the campus' woods. He gripped the Bloody Rose at his side, staring straight ahead.

He could feel it, the almost overwhelming presence of something formidable barring down on his shoulders. It was painfully obvious to him who had a part of it too. His hand tightened on the gun. Everything about everything just _pissed_ him_ off._

He kept his senses alert. Who knows when someone or something will come barreling around the corner for an ambush. This must be that fate thing that everyone's been raving about.

The middle of the woods was blanketed in shadows. It must have been midday, but the sky remained overcast, and snow would find its way through the slivers of sky between the trees every now and then. He paid no attention to the wind, although he was without his uniform jacket. Adrenaline and concentration was enough to distract him from something so trivial.

_Snap_

Zero turned on his heel and whipped his arm in the direction of the noise. In less than a second, he had his aim set. The Bloody Rose set to fire. His eyes narrowed and he kept his voice low and threatening. "What are you doing here?"

A chuckle came from the shadows. "What a nice greeting." Without an ounce of fear in his identically hued eyes, Ichiru walked closer to his brother. That small grin never left his lips.

Ichiru's fearlessness didn't faze Zero at all, if it was even meant to. "Why are you following me?" He didn't lower the Bloody Rose, although he knew it was fruitless because it was aimed towards a human.

"Now, Zero, why are you so quick to make me an enemy?" Ichiru stood dead center in front of the Bloody Rose, the muzzle made a straight path towards his chest. "We are twins, after all."

Zero's eyes shut in aggravation before he lowered the weapon and turned his back to Ichiru. "Answer me. Why are you here?"

"Zero. You really believe that I'm against you." His voice wasn't as low as the words would make you think. Instead, he acted like they were having a casual conversation, but with weighted words.

The distraught twin clenched his jaw, "Aren't you?"

He hummed a laughed. "That depends on how you define it."

Zero shifted his weight and glanced over his shoulder. "What do you mean by that?" He was finally starting to notice the cold and the snow.

"We each have our own separate commitments," Ichiru started, "but you seem to put value on things that you need to let go of. Or else it'll drag you down with it."

"You mean Yuuki, don't you?" Zero spat, his eyes began to narrow again.

His brother smirked. "You shouldn't think of her as precious. She's just another pureblooded vampire that manipulated you. Just like that Kuran Kaname-" he was cut off by Zero's fist slamming into the trunk of a tree.

"Don't ever compare those two again. Ever." His voice was menacing. Rage boiled up inside him.

Ichiru simply brushed it off. "However, I could care less if she were to drop off the face of the Earth. She'd be just a smear on the world." He paused, waiting for Zero to respond. Nothing came. He huffed lightly and started to walk around Zero, stopping on for a moment beside him. "I have my own things to attend to. If you truly wish to prove me wrong, then so do you."

It took a second for those words to fully register in Zero's mind. He blinked and looked up, questions burning on his tongue.

But Ichiru was gone.

XxX

**Author's Notes- **Again, I apologize for the wait. But anyway, this chapter turned out better than I thought it would. However, there was no romance in it. I hope that doesn't upset the entire audience… Ahem.

I'm hoping to find a way to let some AidouYori wiggle its way in, but since we're five chapters in and Aidou has yet to have an appearance… it's going to be difficult. Since I'm second-guessing myself on the KanameSara pairing (for obvious reasons, see chapter 45) it might be easier than I think…

There will definitely be some ShikiRima next chapter! Perhaps some RukaKain… if I can find a way for it to work…

**Review if you wish and suggestions are always welcome,**

_**-Destiny**_


	6. Anticipation

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes**—The people that are still following this story are probably yelling at me, I know. Then again, who am I to think that anyone's listening to _me_ anymore? I have no excuse except ineptitude.

This chapter I'll be adding some **AidouYori**… or is it **AiYori**?

_Chapter 6: Anticipation_

xXx

The largest building of the school was bursting at the seams. All of the Day Class students were directed to it for some unknown reason, all the while some mysterious tension had swept over the campus like tightly placed saran wrap. Most of the girls stayed in one spot and chatted amongst themselves, while a few of them fluttered in between the separate groups. While most of the male students stood off on a wall, way from the girls. They muttered back and forth.

Although the crowd seemed separate the rolling calamity that you'd expect from a mass of people was the same.

"Wakaba-San?"

"Huh?" Yori glanced up at another Day Class student, interrupting her surveying of all the students from her spot on the floor.

The girl nervously smoothed out her skirt, "I asked if you knew anything? You know… about what's going on?"

Yori shook her head and went back to watching the crowd through navy blue eyes. "No, I have no idea... everyone's getting into a frenzy." She clenched her jaw, "Have you seen Yuuki?"

"No, I don't think so…" she mused, "She's not here at all? Isn't she your roommate?"

"Yes she is but," Yori suddenly tensed, "I haven't seen her at all lately." Instances of Yuuki's abrupt personality change flickered through her mind. Also how she somehow has the same chilling presence as those from the Night Class…

"Hey, I just noticed something." The girl spoke, interrupting Yori's thoughts for a second time. "Kiryuu-Kun isn't here either…"

"Well, they are the Guardians, I suppose…" she mumbled. But the school would only need Guardians if there was something to guard from. What could possibly occur at this school that would warrant School Guardians anyway? Perhaps the Chairman secretly has a Yakuza background…

Yori shook her thoughts loose. Yeah, right. She's seen the Chairman preparing dinner for Zero and Yuuki while wearing a ruffled apron with a cartoon cat on the front. He's the last person to be a part of some violent secret society. Then again…

Sighing, Yori noticed that the girl she had been speaking to was gone. She stood up and rested her back against the wall, scanning the mass of people for someone helpful. There was no one, of course. She started to slowly walk the outskirts of the room. Both Yuuki and Zero were missing, along with the rest of the Night Class and even some of the teaching staff. She had a horrible feeling that all of this has to do with the Night Class, and why they're, well, the Night Class. Ever since the separate class was established Yori's felt… something… from them. An aura of sorts, that helped them stick out from the rest. That they were somehow different than anyone in the Day Class.

Well, maybe not anyone. Zero had gradually gotten that ghostly presence, so gradually in fact that Yori had hardly noticed until recently. She had always thought it was because of his icy bravado and ridged glare, but a few months ago it seemed to have spiked.

"And now, even Yuuki…" She murmured, just above a whisper, so that even she could barely hear it. As she walked by one of the smaller rear doors it was unexpectedly yanked open. Her eyes darted up to meet a senpai's worried stare. "A- Aidou-Senpai…" She felt that dreaded chill shake down her spine.

Aidou's turquoise eyes blinked as he brought and hand to his forehead. "Man, I turn my back for a second and you vanish! Yuuki-Chan told me to protect you guys, you know."

Yori kept her stance away from him, "I'm sorry… It's just…"

"I mean, I'm not going to sit here and baby-sit or anything," he covered, "… but I can't just leave it either…" He seemed to be stumbling over his words, though Yori hardly noticed.

"You wouldn't happen to know where she is, would you?" she suddenly asked, leaning into her question.

He stopped stammering to himself and gave her a critical glance. His palm subconsciously went back to his temple, fingers toying with his blonde hair. Yori watched him closely. She watched him have a short, internal argument with himself before sighing like he had no choice. "You shouldn't worry about her. She can take of herself." She gave him a disbelieving look. "And if not… then she has all of us to protect her." Aidou grinned reassuringly.

Yori leaned back again. She assumed that by 'us' he meant the rest of the Night Class and Zero. But what could the Night Class possibly do?

Aidou noticed that she still wore a worrisome face. He reached up and rested his palm on the top of her head. "Don't worry about it, okay?" he gave another of his cheerful grins, though this one didn't hold his signature charisma. She looked up, a little surprised and awkward.

"Alright," she added, nodding.

"Good," he said, "now make sure that everyone stays in this building. We can't have anyone getting out."

Yori shook off the earlier rise in body temperature, "But why-" His hand pressed onto her lips to cut her off, and he shook his head.

"Remember," he winked, the charisma coming back, "Don't worry about it."

Her eyes narrowed a bit at the cliché, but she agreed nonetheless.

"Right," Aidou smirked, before turning back around and leaving the building. Needless to say, this didn't help Yori at all. She still had so many questions and she wouldn't be satisfied until she knew her best friend was safe. Aidou's words gave her a bit of closure, but she was still very wary of the entire situation. And even Aidou himself was acting strange. She didn't want to mention to him that when he had 'turned his back for a second' they were already in the building.

He still had the chilling air around him, but it had never felt so warm… Or perhaps that was the hoard of fangirls glaring silent death threats towards her back… Yori could feel her cheeks turning rosy.

Yeah, that must've been it.

XxX

Shiki and Kain parted ways just outside the door, going down either side of the hallway. Shiki pulled his drenched shirt away from his chest, though it kept sticking to him. He still hadn't cooled off from his fright, but there was something he needed to do. Something he needed to check.

_"Coward!"_

He shut his eyes as he went down the hall. Rima's voice still racked his brain. The word was a weight on the bottom of his heart, pulling it down. It made him feel low.

Still, did she have to spell it out so bluntly? She must've been angry- no, more than angry, to lose her composure like that. It wasn't the way that Rima did things. To do something so impulsive, and with her emotions on full display… that was bizarre.

Yet in some twisted way, it made him happy.

She cared so much to go so far, didn't she? Didn't that say something about her aforementioned emotions? Indirectly, she was complementing him, although her initial aim was to wake him up from his idiocy. He needed to hear that. He deserved to be called a coward. Because in truth, that's what he was. He was too afraid to stand up to his own father. Was he supposed to let others take care of it? How did he think they could manage that? His father had taken away his identity, his physical body, and he practically did nothing to stop it. Rima's observation is and always will be correct. He was a coward.

A stupid, stupid coward.

Shiki reached Rima's room and the weight tugged his heart completely loose. He stumbled over to her bed and sat on the floor beside it, trying to ignore the vacant space in his ribcage. Her golden hair was spilt onto her pillow, and tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead. The sheets were tousled and tangled around her figure in a tantrum, although she was completely still and seemed like she had always been that way.

He clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, folding his arms over the space of the mattress beside her pillow. He sighed again. His hand wiped away the moisture on her forehead and gently rested on her hair. Shiki's face became desperate, "Forgive me, Rima." He whispered, "I'm… sorry," he paused, and buried his face in the mattress. "I apologize for my cowardice," that line almost made him smirk, in spite of everything. "But I'm just a coward…. So forgive me," he brought his hand back, "Please."

Shiki focused on his breathing. He didn't bother searching for a heartbeat. The soft rustling of the sheets went unnoticed until a cold, soft hand brushed his cheek. His eyes shot open to stare too closely at the fitted sheet.

"Idiot," Rima's voice was quiet and as soft as her hand, but was monotonous, like always. "Don't forget that you're an idiot as well."

Shiki gave a small smirk and looked up at her face. "Of course, how could I forget?" The curve of her mouth was as noticeable as the horizon's, but he knew that he saw her smiling. His hand reached for the one cupping his cheek, "I'm just a stupid, stupid coward."

She nodded, "But a cowardly knight will run from the dragon the fastest."

"I can't argue with that," he smiled. She had reached and picked his heart up from the floor, lifting it into place regardless of the weight. "But I can't say that I'll be running this time." She gave him a quizzical look. "I can't have you being the stronger one, that switches our roles as knight and maiden, doesn't it?"

Rima grinned a bit, "And a brave knight will win his maiden's honor."

Shiki's eyes flashed in all seriousness, no matter how strange the metaphor. "I vow to bring you the dragon's head, milady."

She eyed him suspiciously, pondering the meaning of what he just said. No matter how much he wanted vengeance, she seriously doubted that Shiki would go so far as to kill his own father. Best to leave that to someone else… right?

"I'm sorry," Rima spoke up, gaining a surprised look from Shiki. "But I prefer a knight who lives."

xXx

A slow sigh fogged up the windowpane, distorting the two figures standing in view in the courtyard. Ruka's hand lay gently on the curtain while the other was held up to her abdomen. Her fist curled in grief and embarrassment. She felt very snide, watching over the couple like she is now. Who is she to say whom he chooses? Unrequited love works like dominoes; never ceasing until there's no more left to fall.

The girl outside stared at the ground, never looking up at the taller senpai that held her wrist in his grip. He shook her arm, trying to get her to look at him. Ruka could tell they were talking, but besides the fact that their faces were obscured, she couldn't read lips.

"Ruka? What's the matter?"

x

Kaname shook Yuuki's arm gently, expecting his answer. "Yuuki, what are you doing out here? You should go back inside."

Yuuki shook her head feverishly like a determined child.

He sighed, "Will you at least tell me what you're doing here?"

"Onii-Sama, I…" she spoke as softly as the snowflakes crashing into the ground. "There's something…"

"Haven't I told you already?" his voice grew milder as he spoke, "We decided that you would call me by 'Kaname'." She didn't respond. "Yuuki,"

Her entire body tensed, and her body temperature rose. "Kaname…" she paused, "…-Senpai…." But sputtered out the suffix for fear her blood would start boiling in her veins.

Kaname tightened his grip on her wrist, "How long do you plan to hurt me like this, Yuuki?"

Her heart squeezed itself, "Senpai, please… don't say it… like that."

x

Ruka's last glimpse of them was the girl pulling her wrist away from the man, and turning her back on him. The two of them stood as statues in the courtyard.

The sudden question caused her to whip around, "Oh, Kain," she laughed once, uneasily, and inconspicuously shut the curtain. "You startled me."

Kain didn't believe her nonchalant act for a moment. "What were you looking at?"

It felt like her heart had beaten twice in a single rhythm, and her cheeks turned a new shade. "Just the snow."

Again, he didn't believe her, but what could he do about it? All he expected out of his feelings was to be her support from the fall. "Are you alright?"

She glanced up at him, surprised. Had he really seen through her that easily? "I…" she hesitated, her eyes falling to stare at a random spot of carpet.

"Would you like to be alone?" his voice had lowered, and he took a tiny step backward.

A slight gasp escaped her. She looked back up at him expectantly, practically pleadingly. Her lips were open to speak but she couldn't form any words. He seemed to take her silence as an affirmative, and started towards the door. "Please," she peeped. Kain gazed at her hand, which had grabbed onto the sleeve of his coat, bewildered. But what didn't shock him was the tear falling down her face.

"Right now, I…" she started, biting her lip. "… don't ever want to be alone."

x

Kaname stood in the courtyard with his hands by his sides. He was appalled that Yuuki would ever defy him so candidly. He set his jaw, "Is that how it will be then?"

She stared straight ahead, not looking back at him in the slightest. "I'm sorry, Onii-Sama." Her words were left hanging in the air like taunt wire, becoming stressed, and stressed, until they finally break.

"What makes you think that I will allow you," he took a step towards her and leaned down closer to her level, "that I could ever allow you to be by his side?"

Yuuki's eyes broadened. Of course Kaname knew of her and Zero's relationship but, had he truly thought it out that far? "Onii-Sama,"

"Yuuki, he does not deserve you. A creature that sinful," he spat. "Then again…" a pause. Kaname held his palms upward and stared at them. "I am also a creature of sin."

"Please,"

"But he is simply a piece on the board." Kaname grimaced, "and yet he thinks he can stand above me. Stand beside you? It's horrid."

"Onii-Sama!" Yuuki screamed, but she refused to turn and face him. All of these things he's spoken about Zero, she just couldn't stand to look at him. "Please, stop it…" Her eyes watered, and stray tears rolled down her cheeks. She had no idea he, her own brother, could be so vile, so insufferable. Her hands formed into fists.

Kaname eyed her angrily, "Very well then," He then turned on his heel and put his back to her. "But don't think for a second that I'll tolerate you by anyone's side except my own."

Her eyes clasped shut. "And if one of you hurts the other… I'll never forgive either of you!" she vowed, before sprinting off like she was doing earlier. Although there was no telling where she was headed now.

Kaname put on a sick smirk, "You're cruel to me, Yuuki."

XxX

**Author's Notes-** I've really worked on this chapter, even if the writing isn't fantastic, so be happy! (I could be talking to myself, you never know.) This chapter didn't seem as intense as the previous ones but I could just be imagining things.

**Review for initiative,**

_**-Destiny**_


	7. A Living Dilemma

**Disclaimer: Vampire Knight is owned by Matsuri-Sama!**

**Author's Notes**- Okay, so…. Yeah. It's been over a year, has it? Well, that's lovely… Yep.

Anyway, someone reviewed this story recently and, I won't lie, reminded me of it. And since the best cure for writer's block is to write on something else…. Here it is.

Also, I know that some of this dialogue comes straight from the manga, but that only goes to show that it's in-character, right?

_Chapter 7: A Living Dilemma_

xXx

_Give it to me…_

_That which is so rightfully mine…_

Kaname grimaced as he entered the room. The stench was miserable. The lowly coffin in the center, bound with chains, was miserable. Such a vile thing. He didn't want to go near it.

But there was no more room for hesitation. The time was ripe to unleash it. To finish everything.

He reached into his coat and produced a sword. Unsheathed it. Bile burned into his throat. It was a pure and utter distaste. With a single swipe of the blade- too quick for human eyes to notice- the chains wrapping the coffin were split, and tumbled to the floor in a heap. They slid down with a terrible clatter. He jabbed the tip of the sword underneath the lid, and with hardly any effort forced it open. The top swung over and crashed onto the floor.

The smell was even more horrendous on the inside. The scent of fermenting and decay… the twinge of death. It made Kaname sick. Disgusted and nauseous.

He was standing far enough away from the coffin so he wouldn't have to lay eyes on what it contained. A ghostly light seemed to come from it. A dark and evil presence. The air in the room trembled, as if it was aware of the impending storm. Kaname heard the faint sound of the wind bearing down on the windows of the building. The snow outside had just started to dust the school grounds with pure white powder.

Cleansing. That was what he wanted. He wanted to cleanse himself. Rid himself of this horrible appendage that refused to let him go. Some poor, pitiful thing that tied itself to him like a child. He had no use for it.

"… give it to me…" a voice growled weakly from the coffin, but forcefully. Demandingly. Kaname raised an eyebrow, a scowl slowly darkening his features. "Give it to me…" It came stronger this time. Kaname was almost impressed he was able to speak at all.

Then some small red thing peered over at him, then another, until there were five, rising and clenching the lip of the coffin in a hysterical vice. _"Give it to me."_ The hand emerged in its entirety. It was stained red with his own blood. He still had not regenerated completely. It reached to Kaname pitifully. "That blood…. Belongs to me." He grumbled, reaching further. "Give it to me."

Kaname narrowed his eyes. "How disgraceful." The sword scraped across the ground as he stalked towards the outstretched hand. "For a creature such as you to have been born… is something I must atone for, in my own way." Then he lifted the blade and placed it into the palm of his hand, slicing the flesh and allowing the blood to drip into the open coffin. All the while his look of contempt never wavered. "If this is what you so desire, then take it." The blood fell in thick drops, absorbed into the horrible, fluctuating mass that was Kuran Rido. "You will soon cease to stain this world with your presence."

"Kaname, what are you doing!" A voice shouted, and suddenly Ichijou lunged at Kaname, grabbing his hand to pull it away from the coffin.

Kaname only gave his friend a sidelong glance. "Takuma."

Ichijou gave a shaky breath, fear written across his face. "I don't know what this is about or anything, but please." Kaname remained unmoved. "Why are you purebloods always so reckless?"

Again, the other vampire didn't answer, just glowered down at the coffin. "Purebloods are disgusting creatures, aren't they?" Kaname spat, earning a puzzled look from Ichijou. "To be able to return from this state…"

The vice president began shaking his head, "It's not that, it's…"

But Kaname wasn't listening. "The board is set. Everyone should be reaching their respected places."

Ichijou blinked at him, "What does that mean?"

Then Kaname finally moved to look him in the eyes. A formidable stare that went straight through him. Saw through him. It forced a gasp from Ichijou's throat. "In my eyes, the only true Ichijou is you. Remember that well, Takuma." Then Kaname turned away from him and started for the door, leaving Ichijou bewildered.

"Wait," he called, catching Kaname as he reached the doorway. The pureblood slowly glanced over his shoulder at him. "I understand. I will take care of it."

Kaname smirked and continued out. "As was my intension."

Ichijou could only stand there, the rumbling from the coffin slowly making him uneasy. The thought of what he was about to do made him feel sick, but there was no other way. It was his burden- no, his duty to fulfill it. Perhaps this was what Kaname meant by "respected places."

Yes, it was the only way. He had already decided on this path, but subconsciously wanted someone to give him a reason not to. Instead, Kaname was telling him he had wanted him to choose that path all along. Now it was all on him. He had to do his part. He had to confront his grandfather, and end all of this. For good.

Ichijou turned on his heel and exited the room, making sure not to leave through the same door Kaname had just passed through.

X

As Kaname moved down the corridor with quick strides, he gave no recognition to his surroundings. His determination blinded him, or either he was too apathetic towards the person coming in the opposite direction. When that person laid eyes on him, they stopped in their tracks. A curious look sprouted onto Ichiru's face.

Kaname simply continued past him in silence. He had no use for the lesser Kiryuu twin at the moment.

After the pureblood went on without so much as a glance, Ichiru's expression slowly began to morph into some kind of realization. His violet eyes widened, lips parted slightly with unspoken inquiries, staring straight ahead as the answer unfolded right before his eyes.

Then he brought his head down, a sickeningly giddy smile forming on his lips.

XxX

How could he? How could he say such horrible things? What happened to her gentle, caring Onii-Sama? When did he turn so… spiteful?

Yuuki just kept running. At first, she was chasing after the faintest glint of Zero's presence as he retreated, but once Kaname grabbed her in the courtyard it was lost to her. Now she was just running aimlessly. To nowhere. Anywhere that Kaname was not. She couldn't bear to see her brother with such an ugly look on his face. That wasn't the Kaname she remembered.

It wasn't right. Everything was different. Since realizing her true form and seeing who she truly was, the life she loved so much was falling apart.

Kaname was no longer gentle. In fact, he treated her like property at times…. The Night Class no longer treated her as some human girl Kaname held an interest in, but with an awkward sense of forced respect. And Zero looked to her as an enemy, didn't he? He couldn't even bring himself to look at her…

Until just now, right?

She'd been punishing herself for cutting him so deeply, even though she knew that she had no say in it otherwise. And because of that, he… He called her a fool. She was a fool, she knew that. But even so, she felt that she had to compensate for it somehow. And right after he said all those things, he helped her. Brought her back from the cusp of insanity. No matter how much it sickened him to think of her that way. Then they even-

Yuuki stopped in her tracks, a furious red spreading across her face. Her breath was quick and ragged, disappearing amongst the trees as white puffs of steam. Even the thought of what had transpired between her and Zero was enough to leave her catatonic. She shut her eyes and swallowed thickly, her throat burning from her flight. With a fruitless attempt at a slow, calming breath, she brought her shaky hands up to her face. She was alone in the woods, so she figured she was allowed to cry. Even just a bit.

But before the first tears could even gather in her eyes, she was interrupted.

"There you are," a voice panted from behind her. She turned to see Aidou rounding a tree close to where she was standing. He leaned over, resting with his hands on his knees. "I've been looking… for you everywhere…" he struggled between breaths.

"Aidou-Senpai," Yuuki chimed. She was surprised to see him there. Of course because they were in the middle of the woods, but mostly because she'd asked him to take care of the Day Class students earlier. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he breathed, brining himself upright again. Yuuki could see that his face was red from chasing her. "Things are getting worse. I have to get you to somewhere safe."

"Don't worry, I'm alright." She spoke matter-of-factly, just like her old self, and twirled around to continue on, but Aidou caught her arm. His expression was deadly serious as she glanced up at him.

"This isn't some passing threat like you're used to," he said. "Don't you feel it?"

At first, Yuuki had no idea what he was referring to. Eventually though, as she focused on the air around her, she _did_ feel it. The air was thick with something horrible and overwhelming. It made her uneasy. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed it before now. A deep shiver shook her along her spine.

Aidou let out a sensible breath, "Being a prefect, I'm sure you're quite confident in yourself, and even more so now that your vampire has awakened…" Yuuki noticed that the look on his face grew very awkward as he said that last part. "But this is seriously dangerous, and it's our duty to protect you. And I'm going to do it whether you agree to it or not," then he brought his fist up and jokingly knocked on her skull. "thick-headed pureblood girl."

Yuuki just stared at him. When he added that last bit, as if he was making fun of her, he didn't crack a smile at all. It was forced. But it was still Aidou's personality. She couldn't tell if that was his way of telling her not to worry, or if it was simply because he couldn't stand being serious for too long, but that tiny bit of normalcy put her at ease. She turned to face him completely and gave a polite little bow. "Thank you, Aidou-Senpai."

When Aidou saw the smile on her face, he turned away as if embarrassed. He'd never spoken with a pureblood so candidly before. But this was Yuuki. A girl he'd never thought very much of, and one that would occasionally aggravate him… But he had to admit, she was a good kid. In the end there was nothing he really _disliked_ about her. Eventually though, he said nothing and began to escort her back toward the school buildings.

However, he was not exaggerating when he told her that protecting her was his duty. It was in his nature to want to protect the purebloods, he supposed. And Kaname wished for it as well, but there was also that other girl… what was her name again? Wakaba? The last time Aidou had spoken to her, all she was worried about was Yuuki. He told her that he and the others would keep Yuuki safe, and for some reason he felt that he had to keep his word to her. Sure, he wasn't entirely sure on the girl's name or anything, but he found her attitude interesting. She wasn't like all the other girls in the Day Class that tripped over themselves for him. He loved their attention, yes, but that one girl just wouldn't give him any. Did he have to earn it or something? Who did she think she was, withholding all of her attention? Was she saving it, or using it up on someone else?

"Aidou-Senpai?" Yuuki asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him. He'd been silent for a while, and somehow a crazed look began to show up on his face. "What are you thinking about?"

Aidou glanced down at her, shocked at how far down the rabbit hole he'd ventured, without ever meaning to. "Oh, nothing," he covered- badly. "Say, your roommate was worried about you earlier."

"Yori-Chan was?" she mumbled, guilt pouring into her chest again. A miserable look swam onto her face. When she thought about it, she hadn't exactly spoken with her roommate the past few days... She had shut herself off into her own little hateful world… and of course that would make Yori wary. The Yuuki she knew was always smiling and happy-go-lucky- even when she was upset about something. So when she had a complete breakdown, Yori must've sensed that it was dreadfully serious. How could she not? "But I am not the Yuuki she knows anymore…" she whispered to herself, not meaning to think out loud, but because of that, Aidou overheard.

He picked up his hand and lightly bopped her on the head a second time. "Idiot, of course you are."

Yuuki covered her head with her hands in an attempt to block any future attacks, but her expression remained solemn. "No, I'm not. The me that Yori knows is not a vampire."

He sighed again, "Who cares if you're a vampire?" That earned him a look from her. "Worrying over something stupid like that… That is definitely something the old Yuuki would do."

Her eyes went back to him. She turned silent, pondering it for a while. She knew Aidou was smart, and she did trust him- to an extent. So could he be right about this too? A slow smile peeled back her lips, "Maybe you're right."

She hoped he was right. _Prayed_ he was. Because if he was right about Yori, then maybe the same idea applied to all the other pieces of her shattered life too. And Aidou's words would work as the glue that would stick them all back together again.

xXx

"Rido-Sama," Ichiru spoke the man's name as he fell to his knee, bringing his arm across his chest in a bow. He kept his head down so he wouldn't have to look at the vampire before him.

Kuran Rido was sitting on the edge of the coffin, which he had just recently resided in. He held a demented evil sort of presence, like he was brilliant to the point of insanity. His dark brown hair was a wiry mess around his face, and he looked down on Ichiru with a suspicious shine in his eyes. "This is unexpected," he hummed.

"I have been waiting anxiously for your revival." Ichiru said very business-like. Still, he didn't want to look at him yet. It might give him away. He had to hold his own.

Rido inwardly scoffed. His blue and red eyes closed for a moment as he took in the scent of the room. "And why is that? What would the weakest of the Kiryuu fragments want with me, I wonder?" He spoke the words in a sort of low sing-song voice. A tremor went through Ichiru's body. Rido smirked. "Unless you're here to quench my thirst," he threatened, bringing himself closer to the kneeling boy, "I have no use for you."

Ichiru clenched his fist. No use. He hated being called that. Was he truly _useless_? He wasn't much of a hunter, despite his bloodline, but… Even if it was true, it wasn't his fault, was it? If only Zero had just taken everything, before they were born, then he wouldn't be useless. But Zero was too nice, and they were born as two. Twins.

Fragments.

"You're hardly something worth devouring," Rido continued, stalking around the room. "Though I suppose if that is your wish-"

Ichiru couldn't take listening to him anymore. He suddenly reached into his coat and pulled out his own sword, a hunter's weapon that he'd stolen, and plunged it into Rido's chest. His violet eyes gleamed with disgust, and his face was contorted into a fierce scowl. Rido looked down at him, his eyes widening the tiniest bit.

"I've been waiting," Ichiru breathed, "All this time. To avenge Shizuka-Sama's life." Rido simply stared at him with surprise vaguely written across his features. "For the one who had Shizuka-Sama's lover killed and had her imprisoned." Ichiru was trembling. The sword crackled where it touched Rido's flesh, but Rido's expression told an entirely different story.

The pureblood seemed bored with all of this. He reached up and threw Ichiru away from him with a sharp swipe. His nails dug into Ichiru's body. They tore at his clothes as they became stained with blood. His back hit the opposite wall and fell to the floor with a heavy thump. He tried to stifle the shout that was being coaxed out of this chest by clenching his teeth, but the pain was too much and a dreadful moan managed to slip out. Rido shook Ichiru's blood off of his hand with a flick of his wrist.

"Enough of this," he muttered, glaring at the boy. "I don't need weak things… You truly are the weaker of the fragments, aren't you?" Ichiru looked back at him with furrowed brows. He wondered how Rido was able to survive being struck by a hunter's weapon. His thoughts were written all over his puzzled expression. A mocking little smile pulled on Rido's lips. He brought up a hand and pointed to his chest. "You missed my heart."

A devastated look came over Ichiru's face. He _missed_? It was almost laughable wasn't it? That he try so hard and just end up failing because he was of "no use" as a hunter. No use at all. Zero wouldn't have missed. He wouldn't have given Rido the chance to blink, let alone miss his mark.

Another wave of pain shot through Ichiru's body. He clasped his hands to his side, where Rido had struck him, and blood seeped out from between his fingers. This wasn't good. He was starting to feel dizzy already. The smell of his own blood made him feel sick.

Rido laughed as Ichiru writhed there on the floor, and then watched with subtle interest as the boy struggled to his feet. He leaned his back against the wall for support, his breath heavy and his glare heated. But Rido looked on like someone watching a show. Pure entertainment. Ichiru slowly took a step forward, then again, making his way haphazardly to the door. His entire side had turned a deep red from his injury. It felt like it was weighing him down, fogging his brain.

He just had to get out of there. The situation wasn't good. He couldn't let Rido win. No, he had to find someone.

Zero. Where was Zero?

XxX

Shiki was staring off into the distance. As he sat on the floor beside the bed, he let his mind wander a bit. Rima was still weakened from her encounter with his father, so she spoke even less than usual. And he just couldn't bring himself to get up and leave her alone. Her getting injured was something that should've never happened. If only he had been stronger; and fought against his father as tenaciously as she did. But he really didn't want to think about that anymore…. It cost too much energy to brood.

Shiki felt like he could close his eyes and fall asleep right there, and when he woke up everything would be okay again. That could never happen though. He knew that.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by something cold grazing the skin at the base of his neck. Like little fingers passing over it. He glanced back to Rima. She had reached out her hand and was pulling on the collar of his shirt. Her expression was flat. "Shiki," she murmured, getting that look in her eyes, "Give me some blood. I'm hungry."

He brought his head down, a small smirk coming across his lips. "Sure." It was the least he could do for her, wasn't it? After everything else he's done to hurt her…

Slowly, she managed to sit up on the bed and lean towards him. He pulled his collar further away, and craned his neck to expose the veins. She moved even closer, throwing one arm over his shoulder and tangling her hands in his reddish hair.

But she didn't bite him. Not yet. She just stopped there, hovering over his neck. Shiki narrowly opened his eyes to peek at her, to see what was wrong, but nothing was obviously amiss. "Rima?" he raised his free hand to reach for her, but before he could touch her she released her breath and dropped her head on his shoulder. When she turned to face him he could feel her breath beating on his neck. "Rima, what's the matter?" he asked again, barely letting his fingertips trace the small of her back.

"It's nothing," she whispered, though he could swear that he heard her voice crack. She bared her fangs and bit him before he could delve any further into it.

But he still wondered, because it was strange. She'd never hesitated before. The two of them had gone through this act so many times it was casual. Maybe she was still worn out from earlier… That guilty feeling he hated was starting to come back.

Her fangs slid into the flesh like she was biting an apple. She was delicate about it, meticulous even, because she was still fatigued and didn't want to get carried away.

At the first taste, a small, anxious feeling poured into her. The taste of someone's blood was a direct link to their emotions, and Shiki's had never been anything bold. He was apathetic most of the time anyway, so she shrugged it off as her own uneasiness. But right now, it was different. There was something else about it… She took another gulp.

She was hit abruptly. Wave after wave of it. Guilt. Sorrow. Desperation. Weakness. The strange sensation of feeling powerless. Violated. She felt all of it. Chipping away at her. The tumult of Shiki's emotions that were still swirling and raging inside of him... And yet he acted the same as always. It wounded her, in a way. She knew he was sorry, he had apologized multiple times, but to withhold all of this was just insane.

She pulled away from all of it. Left it behind. She didn't want to feel it anymore.

She released the hold she had on his neck, and kept her face there so she wouldn't have to look him in the eyes. She couldn't do that yet. Her breath came out in heavy bursts. "Shiki," she panted.

"What is it?" The way he answered made it seem like he wasn't bothered by anything at all.

"You're an idiot."

Shiki blinked for a moment before letting out a breathy laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?" he placed his hand on her head in a comforting way. "I thought we'd already decided that…"

"No," she muttered, shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth. "This is something else entirely."

He looked at her confusedly, "I don't understand…"

She sighed, and he shivered from it. Her breath felt cool on the newly inflicted wound. "Your blood, you idiot." She called him that again, pounding it into his skull. He needed to know exactly how big of a fool he was being this time. "You think I wouldn't taste it?"

"Taste it? What are you-" he was interrupted by her lips making contact with his neck a second time. She placed it immediately over her previous bite, but she never bared her fangs. It wasn't a bite, but a kiss. Shiki felt his heart thump loudly in his ears. For a split second he was afraid that it was loud enough for her to hear as well. "R-Rima?" he stammered.

"You taste…" she started, but she couldn't decide on how to define it. Should she go with simplicity, or complexity? She began to pull away from him, knowing that she had to finish her thought. She cupped his cheek with one hand and looked him square in the eyes. He noticed that hers were still glistening with tears. "… sad."

He studied her face, trying to somehow understand what she meant. She looked like her normal, deadpan self, but her cheeks shone with saline that hadn't yet dried. And he was the one who supposedly "tasted sad?"

Was it the aftereffect of drinking his blood? No, there's no way his emotions could hit her that hard. He's never seen her like this before… Then again, he's never felt this distraught before either. His lips parted to say something, but he found his voice becoming caught in his throat.

A huge wave passed over the two of them. An unexpected surge of power passing through the walls like a blast radius. Both their eyes filled with dread. Shiki looked at her, forgetting everything that had just happened, alarm plastered onto his face. "Something dangerous just happened. We need to go."

Rima nodded and he scooped her up into his arms and fled in to the corridor.

xXx

**Author's Notes- **There you are, a lengthy chapter of over four-thousand words! Part of me is really pleased with Shiki and Rima's scene, and the other part is disappointed. I'm not sure how that works, but it feels that way… And all of me is pleased with Yuuki and Aidou's scene. I'm glad I decided to give him a more important role in this, he's a great character!

**Review and tell me what you think,**

**-**_**Destiny**_


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